In restaurants and other establishments where people gather and also in homes, the convenient disposition of small trash papers such as crackers, candy and gum wrappers or empty cigarette packages is a problem. Such wrappers should not be placed in receptacles containing cigarette ashes because of their flammability. Further, ash trays are generally too shallow to hold trash papers. Thus the papers are scattered about on the table, thereby creating a disorderly appearance. Additionally, the table which is littered by small papers requires increased time by restaurant or domestic personnel to clean.
Previously ash trays have been combined with containers such as for tobacco, cigarettes and matches. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,184,881 and 1,588,043. Most of these devices serve as smoker's appliances by providing a container for the tobacco or cigarettes and a combined closure-ash tray. The closure-ash trays are generally designed to function as covers for the containers until the tobacco or cigarettes are depleted and the containers discarded. Further, the closure-ash tray must be removed to gain access into the container.
It is also known in the prior art to have ash trays with collapisible bottoms functioning to empty ashes from the ash tray into a larger container below. These receptacles are designed to receive large quantities of ashes before emptying is necessary and are not designed to be trash receptacles. Any trash deposited in them is mixed with the ashes and is subject to catching fire.